Notre Dame Baseball Wins Series At Clemson

Notre Dame baseball went on the road for yet another ACC weekend series and the Fighting Irish came away with another series victory, this time beating the Clemson Tigers two games to one.

GAME 1

Clemson used the long ball control issues by the Irish pitching staff to earn a 13-7 victory in the Friday night series opener.

After Notre Dame tied the game at two runs apiece in the top of the fifth, Clemson responded with seven runs in the bottom of the inning. Irish starter Tommy Sheehan walked outfielder Bryce Teodosio before giving up a bomb to first baseman Caden Grice. That was followed by another walk-home run combination as the Tigers poured it on Sheehan, who didn’t get out of the inning.

Notre Dame got four back in the top of the sixth to make it a 9-6 game. The inning was fueled by a three-run shot from second baseman Jared Miller.

Clemson got all four runs back and put the game away in the bottom of the seventh.

Sheehan took the loss, his first since the 2018-19 season.

GAME 2

Grad transfer John Michael Bertrand was dominant on the mound in game two, pitching seven innings. The lefty gave up just three hits and a run while striking out eight in the game in the 3-1 Notre Dame victory.

Slugger Niko Kavadas gave Bertrand an early lead, drilling a home run to dead center to put the Irish up 2-0 in the top of the first. That was all the runs Bertrand and junior reliever Will Mercer would need. Mercer took the mound for the final two innings and held the Tigers scoreless.

Clemson shortstop James Parker led off the bottom of the fourth with a double and scored later on a groundout for the only Tiger run of the game, and it made it a 2-1 contest.

Designated hitter Carter Putz got that run back in the top of the fifth when he laced a run-scoring double down the left field line, which gave Bertrand and Mercer all the breathing room they would need.

GAME 3

The Notre Dame pitching staff was money again in the rubber match, holding Clemson to two runs while striking out 10 batters in a 3-2 Irish win. Notre Dame’s pitchers also induced a pair of double plays, which helped overcome five walks in the game.

Sophomore right-hander Liam Simon got the most action in the win, pitching four innings. Simon gave up just one run on two hits while striking out eight Tiger batters.

Catcher David LaManna got the Irish on the board in the fifth, tying the game at 1-1 when he drove in Miller with a single up the middle. Miller led the inning off with a line drive single and got into scoring position after stealing third base after moving to second on a wild pitch.

The Irish kept it going in the top of the sixth, scoring two decisive runs. Putz once again came up big for the Irish, drilling a double off the left field wall to plate centerfield Spencer Myers and shortstop Zach Prajzner.

Grice homered off Simon in the bottom of the sixth, but the Irish reliever put the Tigers down in order in the seventh and eighth innings. Clemson got two runners on in the bottom of the ninth, but Jack Brannigan came in and got Connor Ingle to pop up to end the game.

Notre Dame is now 4-2 on the season. The Irish will stay on the road when they travel to Charlottesville, Va. for a three-game weekend series against the Virginia Cavaliers.

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